Secrets
by Nate Grey
Summary: CCS & SM crossover. Tomoyo's cousin Hotaru comes to town, just as a new Cardcaptor shows up. And while Hotaru may be an ally, Sailor Saturn definitely isn't.
1. Tomoyo's Cousin

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone.

Note: I dunno how I got this idea. Prolly the same way I came up with my infamous X-Man/Tenchi crossover. At least this is a double anime crossover. It's Cardcaptors/Sailor Moon (no, Kero will NOT become interested in Luna, that's just weird). Anyway, hope you enjoy it. Gah, and I'm TRYING to use the Japanese stuff, so be warned.

_Italics_ are thoughts.

Secrets, Chapter 1:

Tomoyo's Cousin

Tomoyo was practically bouncing in her seat as the limo drew closer to the airport. She was clearly excited about something, but Sakura wasn't sure exactly what. She'd tried asking Tomoyo earlier, but all her best friend would say was that it was a big surprise.

In the seat across from the two girls, Tomoyo's bodyguard adjusted her ruby red shades. "Tomoyo-chan, please sit still. You're distracting the driver."

Tomoyo stopped bouncing, but she was still clearly bubbling with excitement.

Sakura turned her attention to the bodyguard. If she remembered correctly, this one was in charge of Tomoyo's personal safety. Apparently, she was the best that money could buy, too, as she'd only worked for the famous and fantastically rich. Sakura recalled that her name was Robyn, and that name seemed to fit her, to an extent. Her short hair was very red, but nothing else made her seem like the familiar bird.

Robyn suddenly pulled down her shades a bit, then pushed them back on her face. "Stop here, driver."

Tomoyo was already scrambling out of the car before it stopped completely, and before Sakura realized what was happening, she was dragged almost bodily out of her seat.

"Come on, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo said, her voice rising almost to a whine. "We'll be late!"

Sakura had trouble keeping up with her best friend's fast pace, especially since Tomoyo was tightly gripping her hand as she walked. Robyn, of course, had no such trouble. She was walking beside Tomoyo, almost going faster than her. Sakura imagined one had to be very energetic to be a bodyguard for a girl like Tomoyo.

Tomoyo finally stopped beside a carousel just inside the Baggage Claim. "We're supposed to meet her here," she explained.

"Meet who here?" Sakura asked, taking her hand back.

Tomoyo smiled mysteriously. "I told you, it's a surprise. Just wait and see."

Sakura turned to Robyn. "Do you know who it is?"

Robyn glanced down at her. "Yes, Kinomoto-san. But Tomoyo asked me not to tell."

* * *

Jeremy Masters wasn't crazy. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. His whole family had died in a plane crash four years ago. Ever since then, he'd been blowing up planes by remote control. Only the last one hadn't worked. So he'd decided to actually get on the plane this time and make sure the bomb worked correctly. Of course, he'd die in the process, but it was worth it to know he was avenging his family's death.

Everything was ready now. Taking a deep breath, he got up and stepped into the aisle.

Instantly, a stewardess appeared. "Sir, please return to your seat. The captain has not turned off the seatbelt sign yet."

Jeremy pointed a gun at her forehead. "May I have your attention, please?!" he shouted. "This plane will go down in a fiery spiral of doom in exactly TEN SECONDS!" With his other hand, he pulled out the detonator.

There was a quiet voice behind him. "Excuse me. Sir?"

Jeremy pushed the stewardess away and spun around, training his gun on the voice's owner. It was only a girl, and a very foolish one, judging by the huge risk she was taking. "You just take your seat, girlie!" he ordered.

Her expression was one of limitless patience and serenity. "Please don't blow up the plane, sir. I have to visit my cousin."

"I said SIT!" Jeremy screamed.

"And I said I have to visit my cousin," the girl repeated softly. "So you can't blow up the plane."

Jeremy was about to pull the trigger when he noticed the girl's eyes. They were black--no, violet. They only looked black, but upon closer inspection, he could see that they were violet. If they had been black, Jeremy would've pulled the trigger without hesitation. But violet just happened to be his favorite color. It had been red before, but now it was most definitely violet.

The girl slowly pried the gun from his grip and handed it to the shocked stewardess. "He's fine now."

Jeremy blinked. "What happened?"

"They were just about to ask what you wanted to drink," the girl explained.

"Oh. Water, I guess."

The girl smiled at him. "Good choice."

* * *

Sakura was very bored. Whoever they were waiting for happened to be on a delayed flight, and there was nothing else to do but watch the people go by.

Robyn had finally suggested they get something to eat few minutes earlier, and Tomoyo had quickly agreed, under the condition that Sakura wait for the person. Sakura had protested, saying she didn't even know what the person looked like, and that they'd walk right past her. But Tomoyo had only smiled and said, "Don't worry. She'll find you."

But that had been almost twenty minutes ago. Sakura was starting to fall asleep when a hand touched her shoulder. Her head instantly snapped up. "I'm awake!" she cried, forgetting that she wasn't in class at the moment.

The girl stared at her with a puzzled expression. "That's...nice to know."

Sakura turned bright red. "Sorry. Um...can I help you?"

"You are Kinomoto Sakura, aren't you?" she asked.

Sakura's eyes widened. "Yes, but how did you know that?"

The girl only smiled. "Call it a hunch. You have no idea who I am, do you?"

"No," Sakura admitted.

"I was afraid of that. Chibi Me always did love her secrets."

"…who?"

The girl giggled. "Never mind. I'm Tomoe Hotaru, Tomoyo's cousin."

"Oh. Then you're the one I was waiting for?"

She nodded. "My plane was a little late. There was a disturbance on board."

"Really? What kind of disturbance?"

Hotaru smiled. "Nothing the stewardess couldn't handle."

Sakura glanced at her watch. "We'd better go. I told Tomoyo I'd bring you back to the car. Do you need to get your bags first?

Hotaru shook her head. "Already taken care of. We can go."

As they walked, Sakura suddenly realized that Hotaru looked a little like Tomoyo. There were some major differences, though. Hotaru's hair was black (though it seemed to have an almost violet tint) and fairly short, stopping just above her shoulders. She also seemed to be quite thin, and looked as if a tiny gust of wind might blow her away. She wore a simple black dress with dark blue leggings and black shoes.

It took them a while to find the right limo, as there were many present that day. But it was Hotaru that spotted Robyn standing outside the limo, waiting patiently.

As the girls got closer, there was an excited squeal, and Tomoyo came running out of the limo. She threw her arms around Hotaru, hugging her tightly. Hotaru was understandably less enthusiastic about nearly being squeezed to death, but it was clear that she was used to this reaction, and welcomed it with a warm smile.

Tomoyo probably would've hugged Hotaru all day if Robyn hadn't cleared her throat loudly a few times and opened the car door. Tomoyo reluctantly let go of her cousin and climbed in.

Robyn nodded as Hotaru stepped in. "Hotaru-chan."

Hotaru returned the nod and moved over so Sakura could slide in beside her. Robyn came last and closed the door behind her. Once everyone put on their seat belts, she signaled the driver, and they were off.

"Has Hotaru told you any embarrassing stories about me yet, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura grinned. "No, but I'm starting to wish she had."

"Don't worry, I have plenty," Hotaru said confidently. "Of course, she probably has twice as many about me."

"Well, you could start by explaining how you knew who I was."

"That's simple," Hotaru replied. "Tomoyo showed me a picture of you at the last family reunion. Those are really the only times we get to see each other."

"Until now," Tomoyo added, squeezing Hotaru's hand. "She's going to stay with us for the whole summer!"

"You two seem like sisters to me," Sakura said.

"That's what everyone tells us. We were almost like twins when we were younger, but people always said that I was cuter than Hotaru."

Hotaru looked mildly offended. "I believe it was the other way around, Chibi Me. They said YOU looked like ME, so I was the cute one first."

"What in the world is a Chibi Me?" Sakura asked.

Tomoyo smiled. "That's Hotaru's nickname for me. Like I said, people thought we were sisters, and she's always been a little taller. It sounded cute, so it stuck."

Sakura was surprised to realize that she was a little jealous. Tomoyo had been her best friend for years, yet she seemed to be closer to Hotaru, who she only saw once a year or so. But in Hotaru's defense, she did seem like a great person to be friends with. Sakura began to wonder if she was really jealous that Hotaru seemed to be more interesting than any of her cousins.

Sakura was pulled back to reality when she felt a slight tug on her neck. She looked up to see Hotaru holding the Key of Clow in her hands.

"It's beautiful, Sakura-chan," she said in a hushed voice. Her violet eyes looked to Sakura's face. "What is it?"

Sakura had forgotten that she was wearing it. She would've preferred to leave it at home, but Clow Cards could pop up anywhere, and she would not be caught unprepared to capture them. "Uh...a good luck charm," Sakura finally stammered, sending Tomoyo a nervous glance.

"May I?" Hotaru asked.

"Um...sure." Sakura slowly removed the Key of Clow from her neck, hoping that Hotaru didn't somehow transform it into the sealing wand, or she'd have some explaining to do.

Fortunately, Hotaru handled it carefully, as if it might explode at any moment. "Where did you get it?"

"It was a gift from a friend," Sakura said, which was true enough. Kero was her friend, and he had given it to her. Well, forced it on her, anyway, but she'd managed her magic powers well enough so far. She didn't have to mention that he was the Guardian Beast of the Clow Cards.

Hotaru eventually handed it back. "I have my own good luck charm, too." She took off her necklace and placed it in Sakura's hand.

Upon closer inspection, Sakura could see a locket at the end of the necklace. She carefully opened it and found two pictures inside. One was of a small, smiling girl with pink hair and red eyes. The other was of a much older girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. They were definitely related; the similarities were too great to dismiss. "Who are they?"

"This is ChibiUsa, my best friend back home," Hotaru said, pointing at the smaller girl. "The other is her older cousin, Usagi. I like to think of them as my guardian angels. This way, I feel like they're always around, guiding and protecting me."

Sakura handed the locket back to Hotaru, accidentally brushing her fingers. In that instant, a chill ran through her body.

"Is something wrong, Sakura-chan?" Hotaru asked, noticing the look on her face.

"No, I just caught a chill for a second, but it's gone now." Sakura tried to tell herself that it was just a coincidence, but ever since she'd become a CardCaptor, Kero had told her to trust her instincts. For the first time, Sakura didn't want to listen to them. Because her instincts were telling her that Tomoe Hotaru was no normal girl.

* * *

Syaoran was annoyed, and it wasn't Meiling's fault for once, nor Sakura's. It was a Clow Card's. He'd been after The Silent for almost a month now, and even with the girls' help, it had always escaped. Well, eluded them was a better word. Once inside the Card's aura of silence, you had to be absolutely silent, or it would forcefully remove you.

Apparently, being trained in martial arts was no real help. Syaoran was quiet enough, but the Card always tricked him into making a sound so slight that hardly anything else could detect it: the rustle of his clothes as he moved, the brush of his hair against his forehead. Syaoran had tried everything, but The Silent was determined to remain free. Of course, he was determined to catch it, and neither of them was going to give up. Not since The Time had a Card been this frustrating to deal with.

As was his nature, Syaoran would've preferred to focus solely on The Silent and nothing else. Sakura had eventually given up (although she called it "preparing") and gone on to catch several other Cards, hoping one of them would help her defeat The Silent. None had so far. So Syaoran was fairly certain no other Clow Card would help much.

And then, without warning, something...happened.

He'd been sitting in a tree, as he sometimes did when deep in thought. People were less likely to disturb him up there, and aside from a few squirrels and the occasional bird, he was alone.

Then he felt something. Syaoran's eyes widened, and perhaps on instinct, he looked down.

Passing under the tree at that moment were three girls. That was nothing truly spectacular; most of the kids at school were girls. The fact that two of them were Sakura and Tomoyo was hardly news either, since they were almost always together. But the third one...

She was different. Syaoran knew that right away. He'd never seen her before, and yet...he knew her. He found his mouth opening to form a name he wasn't really sure of in the first place. Still, he just...knew, somehow.

"Hotaru," he whispered, as if it were some precious treasure.

The girl stopped and threw a glance over her shoulder, meeting his gaze for only a second. Her lips formed a single word, and nothing else.

Syaoran's heart leaped into his throat as she glanced at him, then turned around and kept walking. He almost fell out of the tree when he realized she'd said his name.

* * *

"Will you be staying long, Kinomoto-san?" Robyn asked as they entered the huge mansion.

Sakura blinked. "Um...why?"

"She wants to know if you'll be staying for dinner," Tomoyo whispered.

"Oh! Uh...no, I'll have to go soon, actually. I promised Syaoran and Meiling that I'd help them with a...a school project..."

Tomoyo grinned. "Well, I have to give Hotaru the grand tour. Promise you'll call and tell me everything? No, wait! Take my old video camera! You could get it on tape!"

Sakura laughed nervously. "Uh...Tomoyo-chan, we might be a little too BUSY to lug around a camera..."

"C'mon, Sakura-chan! I missed the last two 'projects' because someone put me to sleep!"

Sakura sweatdropped. "Okay, fine! But I need to leave right away!"

"I'll be right back!" Tomoyo promised as she ran off.

Hotaru smiled. "I can see you two are very good friends."

"I guess you could say that. I just wish Tomoyo didn't have to record everything I do every single day." _"...or make all of my costumes herself..."_

"I suppose it's only because she cares for you so much," Hotaru replied. "Although I must admit that some of her designs leave something to be desired."

Sakura's eyes widened. _"She...read my thoughts!"_

Hotaru didn't answer, but she nodded, smiling even wider.

"Here it is!" Tomoyo came running back into the room. "Like I said, it's a little old, so be careful with it, Sakura-chan."

"Oh. Right. Sure!" Sakura flashed her a smile and grabbed the camera. "I'd better go now."

"Will you be needing a ride home, Kinomoto-san?" Robyn asked.

"No, but thanks!"

"But it's dark out," Robyn added, giving her a strange look.

"Oh! So it is! I...uh...I run fast!" Sakura stammered. Before anyone could stop her, she zipped out of the front door.

* * *

"I'm telling you guys, there's something weird about Tomoyo's cousin! She could read my thoughts, and I got this strange feeling when I touched her!"

"You're just overreacting, Kinomoto." Meiling didn't look convinced. "Anyway, we've got a Card to capture, so try to stay focused."

"But-"

"For once, I agree with the kid," Kero said, ignoring Meiling's glare. "The Silent isn't getting any easier to catch."

"And it won't if all of you don't shut up!" Syaoran hissed angrily.

Everyone fell silent. Syaoran had been in an increasingly bad mood every extra time they'd had to pursue The Silent. He was just about to go to work on the locked door before them when he stiffened and growled.

"What's wrong?" Meiling asked.

"Someone else with magical powers is already inside." He quickly got the door open and slipped inside, followed by Meiling and Sakura. Kero remained outside, just in case a distraction was needed.

Soon, they reached the hallway were The Silent's painting hung. Sakura was the first one to spot it. She grabbed Syaoran's shoulder and pointed, but he, too, had already seen it.

The Silent was in full view, standing outside of the painting for the first time any of them had seen. Her eyes were closed, and the high collar she always wore hid her mouth. But that alone was not what had drawn Sakura's attention.

Standing in front of The Silent was a girl in a peculiar outfit. In her right hand was a sinister-looking staff with a double-pronged blade.

_"Syaoran...who is she?"_ Sakura asked through their rudimentary telepathic link.

Syaoran winced slightly. Sakura had not yet perfected the art of talking quietly into someone's head. _"I don't know. She's not mentioned in any of the magical books I've seen...but she's definitely the one I sensed earlier."_

Suddenly, the girl raised her weapon and mouthed some words.

_"What's she doing?"_ Sakura wondered.

Syaoran's eyes narrowed in disbelief. _"She's...sealing it. Silently."_

Sure enough, the Magic Circle of Clow appeared beneath the girl's feet, and The Silent was returned to its Card form, landing neatly in the girl's left hand. She seemed to study it for a moment. Then her head snapped up, and she looked directly at Syaoran.

"Looks like we've been spotted," Meiling said, realizing they could speak now.

"Get ready," Syaoran warned, drawing out his sword.

The girl suddenly appeared directly in front of Sakura. "You...do not belong here," she whispered.

Sakura stared at the girl's pale face. _"It...can't be her...can it?"_

The girl stepped back and raised her weapon. Her eyes gleamed menacingly...just before she struck a nearby display case.

Alarms went off throughout the entire museum.

The girl shot them one more glare before vanishing into a black hole in the floor, which instantly closed behind her.

"Run!" Syaoran shouted, taking off in the direction they'd come. Sakura and Meiling were right behind him. Once outside the museum, they dove into the bushes and stayed there until the alarms stopped.

"So there's ANOTHER CardCaptor?!" Meiling hissed.

"Looks like it," Sakura muttered. "And I thought just getting all the Cards with you two around would be tough." She glanced over at Syaoran, who had a strange look on his face. "Syaoran? What is it?" She elbowed him.

Syaoran blinked and looked at her. "Huh? What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Fine," he lied, looking away. _"Who IS that girl? And why do I feel like I know her?!"_

* * *

"And how was tonight's little adventure, Hotaru-chan?"

Hotaru reached into her bag and held The Silent up to her mirror.

"Excellent. I see you're making progress."

"It won't be so easy next time," she said quietly. "I ran into them tonight."

"Really? Hmm. Were there any problems?"

"Not exactly. But I think there will be. What if I have to fight them?"

"Then you will win."

Hotaru nodded slightly. "But…I don't want to hurt them. And Tomoyo…"

"You won't have to hurt them, once you show them your superior magic. If they're not smart enough to stop challenging you then, we can always move on to…other steps. Don't worry about Tomoyo. Just remember what we talked about."

Hotaru nodded. "I will."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Hotaru?"

The face in the mirror faded from sight instantly.

Hotaru went to the door and opened it, not surprised to find Tomoyo there.

"I thought I heard voices. Are you okay?"

Hotaru smiled sheepishly. "Yes, I'm fine. I talk to myself sometimes…"

"Oh, I see." Tomoyo stared at her for a moment. "Are you sure you're okay? You look pale."

Hotaru sighed. "I always look pale, Tomoyo-chan. You know about my condition."

"Yes, I know, but…" She trailed off, concern in her eyes. "I'm just worried about you. It's very late. You should be resting."

Hotaru placed her hands on Tomoyo's shoulders. "I promise you I'm fine, juumai. I'm always a little tired at the end of the day. It's nothing to be concerned about."

"But why are you up so late?"

"I guess I'm having trouble sleeping in a new bed."

Tomoyo's face brightened. "You could stay in my room!"

Hotaru smiled. "You don't mind?"

"Of course not! It'll be just like when we were little, you'll see." She grabbed Hotaru's hand. "Come on!"

"In a minute, juumai. I need to get some things first."

"Okay, I'll be waiting." Tomoyo gave Hotaru a brief hug before vanishing into the dark hallway. "Don't be too long, juushi!"

Hotaru gathered a few things, and then paused by the mirror. "We'll talk later?"

"Yes, Hotaru-chan," the voice replied. "Let me know if you have any problems."

"I will, kenja. Oyasumi."

"Be safe, aijou."

* * *

Continued in Chapter 2: The Saturn Cards

Sakura & company confront the mysterious new CardCaptor, and find out the hard way that The Silent isn't the only Card she has.

Vocab Lesson!

Chibi – little or mini

Juumai – younger cousin

Juushi – older cousin

Kenja – sage or wiseman (I hope)

Oyasumi – good night/bye (again, I hope)

Aijou – beloved child/daughter

A Note on Honorifics

The way I learned it, -chan is usually for girls, and –kun for boys, though in certain cases that can change. I generally use them to show familiarity between the speakers, but that is also accomplished by the use of personal names, as opposed to family names. For example, Tomoyo would never call Sakura "Kinomoto." Robyn does it more out of respect (as the –san indicates); of course as Tomoyo's bodyguard she knows Sakura well. Meiling does it distance herself and be annoying. Syaoran would've done it in the past, but no longer.

Hotaru's Powers

This will be odd. As far as I know, Sailor Senshi can't read thoughts (hearts, maybe, but not minds). But I plan for the combination of Hotaru's Senshi powers and Clow's magic to produce some interesting skills.


	2. The Saturn Cards

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone.

Secrets, Chapter 2:

The Saturn Cards

Hotaru woke up to find a person attached to her. This did not surprise her, as she was used to sharing a bed with ChibiUsa on occasion, and her young friend was the affectionate type. She was a little surprised, but not at all disappointed, when she realized that the person was her younger cousin, Daidouji Tomoyo, and not ChibiUsa. Then she remembered the events of the past few days.

Hotaru carefully slipped out of Tomoyo's grasp (she'd had a lot of practice with ChibiUsa) and started to return to her own room. "Started to" was a good phrase for it, since an iron grip around her hand suddenly prevented her from going anywhere. She looked back, smiling when she realized that Tomoyo wasn't about to give up her cousin/pillow so easily. Hotaru went back to the bed and gently kissed Tomoyo's forehead. "Wake up, juumai," she whispered.

Tomoyo's eyes fluttered open. "Juushi?"

"It's me. May I have my hand back, please?"

Tomoyo looked down and blushed slightly. "Sorry."

"It's okay. Don't you have other things to hug when I'm not here?"

"Well…not really."

"Juumai, your mother owns a toy company. How can you not have at least one stuffed animal?"

Tomoyo shrugged. "I guess I never asked for one."

"Then it's settled. I'm going to get you one today."

Tomoyo smiled a bit. "You are?"

"Yes. And one for every other morning you won't give me back my hand."

Tomoyo sat up and hugged her cousin. "Arigato, juushi."

Hotaru returned the hug. "It's nothing. Now, get dressed. We're leaving right after breakfast."

* * *

"You think Tomoyo's cousin is a CardCaptor?" Kero asked.

"Yes, Kero-chan," Sakura replied. "I got a weird feeling when I touched her, and that girl at the museum…seemed so familiar. I'm almost certain it was her, too. Almost…"

Kero shrugged. "Well, until I meet her, I can't be sure."

"Meet her? Kero, you can't meet her! You're supposed to be a DOLL, remember?"

"If she was really a CardCaptor, she'd sense me, anyway."

"But…what if she's…dangerous?"

Kero didn't look concerned. "Sakura-chan, I thought you said you liked her?"

"I do, but…I might end up fighting her over the Cards."

"IF it's even her," Kero corrected as he flew over to the window. "Hey, is Tomoyo supposed to be coming here today?"

"No. Why?"

"Well, she's coming up the driveway, and she's got a girl with her."

Sakura practically leaped over to the window. "That's HER, Kero-chan! Tomoyo's cousin!"

"Calm down, Sakura-chan. I do sense some magic in her, but I don't think she's a CardCaptor."

"Then how do you explain the magic?"

"She could be another descendant of Clow Reed. The Li Clan wasn't the only family connected to him."

The doorbell rang.

"What do I do, Kero-chan?"

Kero stared at Sakura as if she'd lost her mind. "What do you mean? Go get the door!"

"But…but…"

"But what? Just because someone has magic doesn't mean you can be rude!"

"Kero-chan, you're not helping! What if she's dangerous?!"

"Then I really don't think Tomoyo would be bringing her over here."

"Sakura! Visitors!" Sakura's father called up the stairs.

"Um…be right down, tousan!" Sakura replied, shooting Kero a glare. "Fine. But I'm bringing them up here. Then we'll find out how dangerous she is together."

Kero rolled his eyes. "She's probably no more dangerous than you are, Sakura."

* * *

Syaoran was not obsessed. At least, that's what he told himself to rationalize the search, anyway. He felt it (the search) was very necessary, and constantly recalled the reasons to memory, just so he didn't lose focus:

1) Sakura had sensed something from the girl. And Sakura was no expert, so chances were if she sensed something, it wasn't exactly hiding itself.

2) Somehow, the girl had known his name, and he had known hers…although he was positive they'd never met before.

3) The girl (or someone who looked an awful lot like her) had sealed The Silent. Whether it was her or not, the person at the museum was definitely a CardCaptor, and that alone was reason enough for the search.

4) The girl was apparently Tomoyo's cousin. That by itself meant virtually nothing, but frankly, being a friend or relative of Sakura's automatically made anyone a candidate for magical powers, and Tomoyo was her best friend.

So far, the search hadn't been very successful. But then, Syaoran hadn't really expected a ton of information on a strange girl in a sailor fuku. It just wasn't the type of thing people saw everyday.

And then, as he clicked on an unassuming link and was flooded with images of pretty girls in sailor fukus, Syaoran realized that last assumption had been very, very wrong…

* * *

"He's very cute, Sakura-chan, but what exactly is he?"

Sakura blinked and stared at Kero, who was half-hidden in Hotaru's arms. "Um…I like to think of him as my little beastie," she said at least, resisting the urge to laugh.

Tomoyo had to cover her mouth to hold in her snickers.

Kero shuddered slightly in rage, but Hotaru didn't seem to notice.

"Anyway, I don't think Tomoyo would want one of these," Sakura went on, plucking Kero out of Hotaru's hands. "I mean, it's so OLD and BORING and SILLY now. It just LOOKS like it would FALL ASLEEP on the JOB…"

This time, Kero let out a muffled squeak as he attempted to bite Sakura's thumb.

Tomoyo nearly fell off the bed from giggling so much.

"Did I miss something?" Hotaru asked slowly.

"Nothing, Hotaru-chan. Tomoyo's just being silly."

Hotaru suddenly looked past Sakura. "Where…did you get that?" she asked.

Sakura looked in the direction that Hotaru was pointing. "Oh! I guess you haven't seen this." She picked up the doll in her image and held it out. "Tomoyo made it for me a few years ago."

Hotaru stared at the doll, then at Sakura. "It's very well done, juumai. I didn't know you were this good."

Tomoyo blushed. "It's not THAT good. The limbs are a little plump, and for months Sakura thought I was insulting her weight problem."

"WHAT weight problem?!" Sakura asked heatedly.

"I'm kidding, Sakura-chan! Honest!"

"You KNOW I'm sensitive about that, Tomoyo-chan!"

Hotaru looked at the doll again. "Well, now that your cheeks are all flushed like that, you really do look a lot like the doll."

Sakura glared at her and forced the red out of her cheeks. "So you think I'm fat, too?"

"There's no safe way to answer that, juushi," Tomoyo muttered under her breath.

* * *

Syaoran swallowed his pride and knocked on the door.

A few moments later, Meiling answered the door. "Ohaiyo, Syaoran!" she said, smiling.

"Meiling, I need your help. It's very important."

"Sure! Come in!" Without waiting for a reply, she dragged him into the house. "What is it?"

Syaoran looked very nervous. "I need you to tell me everything you know about Sailor Senshi."

He was not quite sure what kind of answer to expect. Certainly, he did not expect Meiling's eyes to turn into huge stars.

"Um…Meiling?"

"The Sailor Senshi are the toughest and prettiest heroes EVER! Jupiter's my favorite, and she-"

"Yes, that's very nice, but what do you know about the one who wears violet?"

"Nani? Oh, that's Saturn, the Senshi of Silence, Death, and Destruction. Or was it Rebirth…Syaoran? Where'd you go?!"

* * *

"How about this one, juumai?" Hotaru suggested, pointing at a soft, smiling teddy bear.

"No…I want something different," Tomoyo said. "But I don't know what…"

"What about this one?" Sakura asked, holding up a warrior elf with a sword. "The tag says he's supposed to protect you from bad dreams."

Tomoyo stared at the elf's green robes. "He looks a lot like Syaoran-kun. Are you sure you don't want him for yourself, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura turned bright red and shook her head. "No, no, NO! This is for YOU, Tomoyo-chan!"

"Well…okay. Arigato, Sakura-chan!"

"Who is Syaoran?" Hotaru whispered.

"A friend of ours…especially of Sakura," Tomoyo whispered back. "But don't tell her I said that!"

Hotaru nodded and turned around, only to bump into someone. "Oh, gomen nasai, I didn't…"

Syaoran stared back at her, his face red from running.

"Ohaiyo, Syaoran-kun! Did you come here to get something for Meiling?" Tomoyo asked.

"Yes," he agreed after a moment. "I thought I might get her…a Sailor Senshi." His gaze never left Hotaru.

"Oh, really?" Sakura asked. "I hear they're very popular right now."

"Yes. One might even think they were real." Syaoran was still staring at Hotaru.

"That's right, you haven't met Hotaru yet!" Tomoyo said, placing her hands on Hotaru's shoulders. "Juushi, this is Syaoran."

"Then…you're Daidouji's cousin?" Syaoran asked, looking as if he'd expected it.

Hotaru nodded. "And you're Sakura's friend?"

Syaoran blushed very slightly. "We're more like partners," he said without thinking.

"Partners?" Hotaru repeated. "What an interesting way to describe her…"

Both Sakura and Syaoran turned bright red.

"Anyway," Syaoran muttered, the red fading from his cheeks, "Meiling wanted a Jupiter doll."

"You don't have the slightest idea which one that is, do you?" Tomoyo asked with a grin.

"Of course not. I didn't even know what a Sailor Senshi was until today."

"Well…I'm sure Sakura would be HAPPY to help you find one."

"Nani? I would?" Sakura asked, blinking slowly.

"Yes, you WOULD," Tomoyo insisted, pushing her towards Syaoran. "Hotaru and I got what we came for. Right, juushi?"

Hotaru nodded, a knowing smile on her face. "Yes. Have fun, you two."

Before Sakura could protest, both girls had vanished.

"Actually, I do need to talk to you," Syaoran said, walking further down the aisle.

_"About a Card?"_ Sakura whispered into his head.

Syaoran smiled approvingly. She'd been practicing. _"More like a CardCaptor. I'm convinced it was Sailor Saturn that we saw last night."_

_"I thought that's why you kept mentioning Senshi. Were you trying to tell me that by looking at Hotaru?"_

Syaoran frowned. _"No, I was looking at her because I think she IS Sailor Saturn."_

_"Hotaru? I thought it might be possible, but I wasn't sure. But if you think so, too, then maybe…"_

_"There is a way we can find out,"_ Syaoran went on. _"Try to stay with her and Daidouji. The next time you sense a Clow Card, watch how she reacts."_

_"What about you?"_ Sakura asked.

_"I'll be watching her, too. But hopefully, she won't know that."_

_"You're going to spy on her…?"_

_"Sakura, we don't know why she wants the Cards. She might even be an evil sorceress. We can't take that chance."_

_"Well…you'll be careful, won't you?"_ Sakura asked.

Syaoran blinked and looked at her. _"What?"_

_"We know she's got The Silent…but she probably has more. Maybe even more than I do."_

_"I'm not exactly powerless, Sakura."_

_"I know that, Syaoran. But I'd be so upset if something bad happened to you…"_

Syaoran started to say something, then froze. He saw a similar expression on Sakura's face. "Parking lot."

She nodded, and they both ran out of the toy store, the Jupiter doll forgotten.

* * *

It was the one capture that Tomoyo had little or no interest in catching on tape. Mainly because she was right in the middle of it.

The walls of flame had sprung up everywhere, and she'd been separated from Hotaru. The only thing she could do now was wait for Sakura and/or Syaoran to show up and save her.

But they were certainly taking their sweet time with it.

Tomoyo happened to look up and see what appeared to be an angel. And when she realized the angel was on fire, she knew that The Firey Card had taken a personal interest in her. Why, she wasn't sure, but never had she wished to be more unpopular.

A bright beam of light came out of nowhere and tore through one of Firey's wings. She snarled in pain and flew away, chased off by what appeared to be a large firefly. Only fireflies didn't come out during the day.

A second figure with wings flew overhead, but it was Sakura on her wand. "Tomoyo-chan, are you okay?!" she shouted, swooping down beside her.

"Just a little scared," Tomoyo replied, climbing on behind her. "What was the Card you used to chase Firey away?'

Sakura stared at her. "What Card? I've only used Fly to come get you, and Sleep on the crowd."

Tomoyo looked down, not surprised to see Syaoran putting out the flames with strong jets of water from his sword.

It was another ten minutes before they found The Firey, lying on the roof of the mall. She'd been tied up with some strange-looking violet rope that didn't seem to burn. There were several large holes in her right wing.

"Who did this?" Sakura whispered.

"The Shot Card," Li muttered, frowning. "You don't have that one, Sakura."

"No, I don't," she agreed. "Tomoyo-chan, where's Hotaru?"

"We got separated. Didn't you save her first?" Tomoyo asked, panic in her tone.

"We…didn't find her," Sakura replied, looking worried.

"Oh no…juushi, no," Tomoyo whispered, tears in her eyes.

"Found her," Syaoran said suddenly, peering over the edge of the roof.

Hotaru was lying on the sidewalk. Apparently, the heat from the flames had caused her to faint.

"She's always been very sickly," Tomoyo said later on. "And she used to have fainting spells all the time."

Syaoran didn't know if that was true or not, but he knew for certain that Sailor Saturn had chased down Firey.

* * *

Hotaru woke up in her own bed. That was a big relief, as she remembered passing out back at the mall.

She was only slightly surprised to see Tomoyo curled up next to her.

Hotaru smiled and brushed a strand of hair away from her cousin's face. "I'm sorry for all this, juumai," she whispered, "but I'm only trying to keep you safe." Silently, she slipped out of bed and walked over to the window.

"I hear there's been an earthquake warning downtown," a voice whispered in her ear. "Be careful, aijou."

"Of course, kenja."

* * *

"New plan?" Sakura asked quietly.

Syaoran swallowed noisily. "I think so."

"Okay. Your turn."

"What?!"

"Well, mine didn't work!"

"I don't HAVE one yet!"

"Then why'd you agree to a new plan?!"

"I thought you had another!"

Sakura sighed in frustration. "Well, we can't just sit here!"

"Fine. Then you go, and I'll back you up like always."

"I think I liked you better when you were braver," Sakura muttered.

"What was that?!"

"Nothing! Let's go!"

"Let's not," said a voice behind them.

Sakura and Syaoran spun around to see the strangely dressed girl from the museum staring at them.

"Sailor Saturn?" Syaoran asked.

The girl said nothing, but her eyes drifted to Sakura. "You have The Freeze?"

Sakura blinked in surprise. "Yes, but how-"

"Not now. When I signal you, use it."

"Wait," Syaoran said. "Who do you think you are?"

"I think," Sailor Saturn replied, "that I'm the only one that realizes how powerful The Earth is. I also think we should move…NOW!"

The ground beneath them split open, even as boulders came raining down upon them. Sakura and Syaoran both dove away, but Sailor Saturn leaped at the dragon-like rock formation towering over them.

"What's she planning to do without any weapons?!" Sakura asked.

"I guess we'll find out," Syaoran muttered.

As Saturn drew closer to the rock dragon, the Silence Glaive materialized in her right hand, while a Card appeared in her left. "Sword, guide my hands!" she shouted, raising the Glaive over her head.

Sakura expected to see a sword at the very least…but there was none.

Instead, the Glaive took on a silver glow as Saturn screamed in rage and brought the weapon down with uncanny accuracy.

For a split second, nothing happened.

Then the mighty rock dragon split into two perfect halves and crumbled as it hit the ground.

"Now, Sakura!" Saturn shouted.

"Um…right!" Sakura pulled out The Freeze and struck it with her wand. "Freeze Card, release and dispel!"

"Snow, unleash and entrap!"

The combined power of the two Cards instantly covered The Earth in a thick blanket of snow and ice.

And then Syaoran realized something. "Who's going to seal it?"

Saturn lowered her Silence Glaive. "This capture is yours, Sakura."

"Oh. Um…thanks?" Sakura said slowly.

"You're welcome. But you would be foolish to count on my assistance a second time." The Snow materialized in her hand, and with that, Saturn faded into the darkness. "And do tell Keroberos he is also very welcome."

Sakura quickly sealed The Earth. "How'd she know about Kero? He didn't go to the museum with us."

"I guess we'll have to ask her," Syaoran muttered.

"You think she'd tell us?"

"No. I think we'll have to force it out of her."

Sakura sighed. "I was afraid you were going to say that."

* * *

Hotaru was tackled the instant she stepped into her bedroom. Acting purely on instinct, the Silence Glaive appeared in her hand, and she raised it to strike.

"Juushi, don't you EVER do that to me again!" Tomoyo cried, pressing her face against her cousin's shoulder. "I was so worried something horrible had happened to you!"

Hotaru blinked in shock and quickly moved the weapon behind her back, trying to send it away before Tomoyo noticed. "I-I'm so sorry, juumai. I didn't mean to upset you. I just went for a walk."

"Hotaru, you can't just go walking around whenever you feel like it, especially not this late at night! It can be dangerous, and you don't-" Tomoyo's gaze finally landed on the Silence Glaive, and her jaw dropped. "Juushi…Hotaru…what IS that?!"

"I….I…can't…" Hotaru paused, realizing there was no way out of it.

"I'm waiting, Hotaru!"

Hotaru shook her head and backed away. "Juumai, please. I don't want to lie to you, but…you can't know. You just can't…"

Tomoyo stared at her cousin in disbelief. "Juushi, you could always trust me before."

"This…this is different. You…wouldn't understand."

"What I don't understand is why you can't trust me," Tomoyo whispered. "All I know is I can't trust you, if you won't tell me why you have that…thing with you."

Hotaru bit her lip, and then sighed. "Juumai…if it were anything else, you have to know I would tell you. But…just this once…I need you to trust me."

"Just tell me you're not hurting people with that."

"Of course not!" Hotaru answered at once.

Tomoyo sat down on the bed. "Are you…a CardCaptor?"

Hotaru's head snapped up. "How did you…?"

"Just a feeling. Come and sit with me, juushi."

Hotaru sat down beside her. "Juumai…I never wanted to lie to you, but you know I couldn't tell anyone."

"I know, Hotaru." Tomoyo squeezed her hand. "But next time, please tell me when you're going out."

"Okay," Hotaru said slowly, a little surprised at how easily her cousin was accepting this.

"Maybe I can even go with you next time."

"What?!" Hotaru cried. "You can't! It's dangerous, and you-"

Tomoyo pressed a finger to Hotaru's lips. "Do you really just expect me to sit here while you're out there? You should know me better than that, juushi."

"Tomoyo, please listen! If something were to happen, and I couldn't protect you…"

Quite suddenly, a figure emerged from the darkness and touched Tomoyo's shoulder. She instantly closed her eyes and fell into Hotaru's arms. "That was a little too close," he sighed, frowning.

"Kenja…what did you…?" Hotaru asked.

"She's only asleep, aijou. She won't remember you leaving tonight, or this conversation."

"But…are you sure that's wise?"

"Would you rather I didn't? As long as Tomoyo knows you're a CardCaptor, she'll insist on going with you and placing herself in danger."

Hotaru bit her lip. "All right. But I hate deceiving her like this."

"That is why you shall leave the deceiving to me," he replied. "Just worry about the remaining Cards."

* * *

Next Chapter: Saturn Cards Unite!

Sailor Saturn seems to be collecting only those Cards that begin with S. Will she take The Shadow from Sakura in battle? Or steal it as Hotaru? And what will Tomoyo have to say about that?

Vocab Lesson!

Arigato – thank you

Ohaiyo – hello

Nani – what

Senshi – soldier (Sailor Scouts are known as Sailor Senshi in Japan)

Gomen nasai – I'm very sorry


	3. Chapter 3

Notes: I know it's been a LONG time since I updated, and I'm really sorry about that. I got distracted, to say the least. But I really think I can (and should) finish this, so here we go again. This follows no continuity whatsoever, the Clow Cards Sakura currently has are almost completely random.

Chapter 3:

Saturn Cards Unite!

Tomoyo smiled as she carefully positioned the warrior elf on her pillow. "Now remember, it's your job to protect me from any bad dreams tonight. Think you can handle it, Erwin?"

The elf didn't answer, of course, but Tomoyo imagined that his brave little scowl uttered an agreeing grunt.

"And let's not forget about you, either!" Tomoyo said to her latest stuffed playmate, an elfin maiden. Hotaru had had her custom made for Tomoyo, and she was certainly worth every penny. In fact, Tomoyo was quite sure that Hotaru had spent more than a few pennies. She was no expert on dolls to be certain, but she suspected that the cost of making the doll and shipping it was enormous, perhaps even for a family like hers. It was no use trying to talk Hotaru out of it, though. She had insisted that Tomoyo keep the doll, and that the price hadn't been a problem. While Tomoyo had once heard her mother mention that Hotaru's family was just as well off as their own, she hated to think she was costing them money that would be better suited to treating Hotaru's lingering illness.

"Well, you are a pretty little thing," Tomoyo murmured to the maiden. "And I could never refuse a gift from Hotaru. Maybe you can watch over her dreams while she's staying with me."

There was no reply from the maiden, so Tomoyo tapped the little mirror she held in her tiny hands. For some reason, Hotaru had always been fond of mirrors, but had never enjoyed seeing herself in them.

* * *

Meiling's face lit up when the doorbell rang. "It's about time, Syaoran!" She flung the door open, only to be thoroughly disappointed. "Oh…you're not Syaoran…"

The girl blinked a few times. "No, I am not. My name is Tomoe Hotaru. You are a friend of my cousin, Tomoyo?"

Meiling would've hesitated to call herself a friend to anyone who loved Sakura as much as Tomoyo did, but at least she was a bit easier to tolerate most of the time. "Yeah, I know her."

"You are Syaoran's cousin?"

"I see you've done your homework. Did you come here just to interrogate me?"

"No. Syaoran went shopping with us the other day, and he must've forgotten this," Hotaru said, holding up a small box. "I found it mixed in with my purchases. I think he got it for you."

Meiling snatched the box from her and tore it open. "YES! My super limited edition Sailor Jupiter doll! Oh, Syaoran, I knew you wouldn't forget!"

Hotaru wisely decided not to point out, again, that Syaoran HAD forgotten. Though, considering that they been attacked by The Firey the same day, she couldn't really blame him. "You like Sailor Jupiter, then?"

Meiling looked at Hotaru as if she were crazy. "Who wouldn't?!" she demanded, a challenge in her tone.

Hotaru held up her hands in surrender. "I should be going. It was interesting to meet you, Meiling-san."

"Yeah, sure. I'll let Syaoran know you stopped by."

* * *

Syaoran couldn't believe what he was about to do.

He had always been one to follow the old ways, and didn't like going against tradition. After all, tradition was his whole life.

But then he'd met Sakura, and gradually found himself breaking all the old rules without realizing it. Instead of drawing her into combat, he'd allowed her innocence to befriend him. Instead of taking the Clow Cards from her, he'd helped her capture several of them. Instead of keeping to the shadows and striking without warning, he'd allowed Tomoyo to videotape nearly all of their adventures.

And it was that last one that he had need of now.

With all that had happened recently, he needed to be sure that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. He needed to be certain that Sailor Saturn was exactly what he suspected she was.

She could seal Clow Cards, she could summon the Magic Circle of Clow, and she was probably stronger than Syaoran and Sakura combined. But to be capable of any of that, she almost certainly had to be a descendant of Clow Reed herself. That she was also of the Sailor Senshi didn't mean much to him; he still considered them largely the stuff of fairy tales. If anything, claiming to be one kind of magic user just made it easier for Saturn to use her true magical talents. Although pretending to be a Sailor Senshi just so she could be a CardCaptor seemed more than a little strange.

At any rate, he needed to call Tomoyo. With any luck, they'd run into Saturn again soon, and Tomoyo would get the whole encounter on tape. If the tape confirmed what Syaoran's eyes had seen, then he would need to call his mother. He had never seen any Tomoe mentioned in the family records, and if they were really related, he would need permission to challenge Saturn, or at least some idea of what she was up to.

But he never got the chance. As he laid his hand on the phone, a soft hand covered his.

"You don't want to do that, Syaoran."

He was more angry than surprised that Hotaru had suddenly appeared next to him. "How did you get into my home?! The wards-"

"-are useless against those of the Li Clan, as you know," she replied, staring into his eyes. "Even those a few times removed, it would seem."

"And that's supposed to convince me that not to call?"

"Yes, it is," Hotaru murmured, gently pulling his hand from the phone and cradling it in both of hers. "You don't really want to call home for the answers. You really want to hear them from me, don't you? After all, even if your mother decided to tell you anything about me, there are things I would know more about than she would. There's a reason you've never heard of my section of the family."

Syaoran pulled his hand away from her, and not without great difficulty. "So talk."

"My family has always had a certain taste for dark magic. Not being able to handle it, necessarily, but using it nonetheless. It's one of many reasons we were banished from the clan so many times. But we always found a way back in, somehow: an illusion here, a love potion there, and in one case, the pure dumb luck of a mistaken identity. The point is, we understood that the closer we were to the Li Clan, the more powerful our magic would become."

"So basically, you're evil," Syaoran said after a moment.

"Dark magic can be used for good, just as light magic can be used for evil. It all depends on the person using the magic. But I have no intention of harming you, if that's what you mean."

"Then why are you here?"

Hotaru paused. "I'm not sure I should tell you that much. You could still pose a threat to my mission."

Syaoran frowned. "I meant, why are you in my house?"

"To stop you from making a mistake. I don't want you involving Tomoyo in this."

"You're too late," he replied with a smirk. "Her natural nosiness aside, Sakura could never keep anything from her. She's already too involved as it is."

"You're missing my point. I don't want YOU involving Tomoyo in this."

For some reason, Syaoran took great offense at that. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're too smart for your own good, Syaoran. That seems to be especially common in your clan."

"Just as getting in over your head is in yours?" he snapped back.

Hotaru smiled thinly. "Trust me, you and Sakura are the ones in over your heads. I'm warning you to stay out of my way. I felt obligated to do that, since you are family."

"Then I'll extend the same courtesy to you," Syaoran answered. "If you try to harm Sakura or Meiling in any way, I will be forced to remove you from my family again."

"Fair enough." Hotaru turned to leave, but suddenly found Syaoran's hand on her arm. "Yes?"

"One more thing." His grip tightened to the point where it was painful. "If you hurt Tomoyo, I. Will. Hurt. You."

"I would never hurt her," Hotaru said solemnly, pulling away from him. "But why have I never heard you call her that to her face?"

"That is none of your concern," Syaoran replied at once, "but Tomoyo is of mine. Make sure you remember that."

"I will. But really, Syaoran, you shouldn't be so protective of another girl. What would Sakura think?"

Syaoran opened his mouth to reply, but Hotaru had already vanished into a black hole, not unlike the one he'd seen Sailor Saturn use to teleport. He started to dive in as it quickly faded away, but thought better of it as he glanced into the mirror and saw that he was still blushing from that last comment. She had won this round, and it was better to admit defeat and regroup for the next encounter.

His gaze moved again to the phone, and he wondered if he should call Tomoyo, anyway. There was a very good chance that Hotaru would be right next to her if she picked up, so maybe that wasn't a good idea. While Hotaru had said she wouldn't harm Tomoyo, he didn't know her well enough to trust her. But Tomoyo needed to know that her cousin was a CardCaptor, if nothing else. He could not forget how worried Tomoyo had been during Firey's attack. At the very least, knowing might reassure her that Hotaru could look after herself just fine.

There was also the possibility that Hotaru HAD told her, and that Tomoyo just hadn't told him and Sakura, but he couldn't see any reason for her to do that. Anyway, this WAS Tomoyo. She would never be able to resist the chance to dress up both Hotaru and Sakura in ridiculous costumes and get it all on tape.

* * *

"A sleepover, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo was saying as Hotaru entered her cousin's bedroom. "Well, no, I guess we haven't done it in a while…"

Hotaru managed to hide her smirk fairly well. She had warned Syaoran off, but she hadn't said anything about Sakura. Of course, there was a reason for that, but she doubted Sakura had come up with the sleepover on her own, or that she'd be doing much sleeping during it.

Tomoyo beamed as she finally noticed her cousin and waved her over to the bed. "Yes, that does sound like fun! But when…tonight? That's kind of sudden, but I guess if I let the cook know now…"

For her part, Hotaru practically pounced on Tomoyo and nodded eagerly.

Tomoyo laughed into the phone. "Well, since you and Hotaru have me outnumbered, I guess it doesn't matter what I think! Okay, see you tonight! Bai bai, my Sakura-chan!" She clicked off the phone and batted Hotaru away with her pillow. "I didn't know you liked sleepovers so much! Well, with anyone but me, anyway."

"Normally, I don't," Hotaru replied honestly, hugging the pillow. "But I do like Sakura. And so do you, apparently. What's this 'my Sakura-chan' business, juumai?"

Tomoyo grinned. "It's just something I say to make her blush; she's so cute when she does that!"

Hotaru smiled and shook her head. "I think I would blush, too, if I were in her place. You're positively manipulative when you get an idea into your head."

"Speaking of ideas, I couldn't help but notice the way Syaoran was staring at you when we went shopping…"

A look of sheer terror appeared on Hotaru's face. "I'm sure he was just struck by how pale I am," she said quickly. "It happens often when I meet new people."

"Juushi, you're blushing!" Tomoyo cried in rapture, pointing at her cheeks.

"I am not!" Hotaru insisted, doing her best to look angry.

"You know, it's okay if you like him," Tomoyo said in a rather unconcerned manner. "I mean, Syaoran IS cute, even if Sakura hasn't noticed. And he's a perfect gentleman, once you get him to stop scowling."

"He doesn't like me," Hotaru said at once. "I asked a small favor of him today, and he jumped down my throat. He couldn't be the one for me, juumai."

"He did the exact same thing when he first met Sakura, and you see how they are together."

"That's even more reason to avoid him! I could never hurt Sakura that way."

"She'd barely even realize she'd lost him at first," Tomoyo pointed out. "Sakura is so sweet, but she's also…hmm…"

"A little slow?" Hotaru hazarded, already prepared to flinch from Tomoyo's wrath.

"Hmm…yes, I suppose," Tomoyo answered eventually. "She doesn't even realize how much she likes Syaoran. Maybe seeing him with someone else would make her see what she's missing."

"But why should that someone be me? And I thought you said he had to marry Meiling?"

Tomoyo waved away her concern. "He talked her out of it, but to hear Meiling tell it, the wedding is still on. But that's more in her mind than anyone else's. Don't let it bother you; you've got a better chance with Syaoran than Meiling or Sakura at this point."

"You're crazy, juumai," Hotaru muttered.

"No, I'm manipulative," Tomoyo reminded her with a wicked grin. "Now do as I say, or I'll be forced to prove it."

* * *

"I don't see how this is going to help," Syaoran complained.

"You wouldn't," Meiling sighed as she sorted through a pile of video tapes.

"Can't you just tell me everything you know about the Sailor Senshi, instead of making me watch all of those?"

"I could," Meiling replied absently. "But I won't."

"Why not?!"

"Well, either I tell you everything I know in a few hours, or you spend all night watching my entire Senshi collection...with me." She smirked at him. "Which would you choose if you were me?"

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Meiling, this is serious! I need to find out everything about Hotaru's magic that I can! If she tries something while we're here-!"

"But she won't, because she'll be at a sleepover with Tomoyo and Sakura, remember? I doubt she could pull anything without one of them noticing."

"It wouldn't matter what they saw, if she could--I don't know--erase their memories!"

"Well, she can't! At least, she couldn't in the anime," Meiling replied with a frown. "But she wasn't a CardCaptor there, either..."

"All the more reason for us to hurry this up!" Syaoran pointed out at once.

Meiling muttered something under her breath as she put in the first tape. She, for one, did not share Syaoran's concern. She had met Hotaru, after all, and seen Sailor Saturn up close. They were two sides of the same coin, but the fact remained that in either form, she was still the same coin. Meiling didn't think that Saturn was anymore capable of harming Tomoyo and Sakura than Hotaru was. But then, if she really could erase memories, there would be no need to harm them. And when she looked at it that way, maybe it WAS safer if Hotaru just erased their memories.

"Are you going to start the tape or not?" Syaoran asked, breaking into her thoughts.

Meiling took a seat next to him on the couch and pressed Play on her remote. "Get comfy, Syaoran. This will take a while."

Syaoran sighed, his head in his hands as the theme music started up. "Of that, Meiling, I have no doubt…"

* * *

Sakura couldn't help but be disappointed when she woke up in Tomoyo's bed. The one thing that Syaoran had insisted she remember about this night was that under no circumstances was she supposed to fall asleep. He had kept telling her that this was a mission, not an actual sleepover.

Only it HAD been an actual sleepover, and there had been nothing even remotely mission-like about it. Well, unless you counted hours of Tomoyo's prized footage, featuring Sakura stumbling around in outrageous costumes. Thankfully, all the tapes that Tomoyo presented were edited for normal viewing, and the most magical thing about any of them was that Sakura had managed not to die of embarrassment in any scene. And while Hotaru did pay close attention to all the tapes, she had the decency not to laugh once in Sakura's presence. Of course, Sakura imagined she'd be rolling in the aisle on the plane ride home.

Sakura couldn't remember when she'd nodded off, but it must've been before the other two, since she'd been sitting on the floor at the time. She had brought a sleeping bag, but that wasn't required with Tomoyo's sleepovers: her bed was easily large enough for five people her size, and she refused to let her guests sleep on the floor when there was plenty of room. And since Tomoyo was curled up right beside Hotaru, Sakura had more than enough room to work with. She watched them for a few minutes, making sure they were both asleep before deciding to slip out of bed.

She headed straight for the bathroom, both to use it and to figure out her next move. The problem with Syaoran's plan was that it depended entirely on Hotaru doing something suspicious. But Sakura had watched the girl all night, and the only thing she'd figured out was that Hotaru was a perfectly nice girl. It was still very hard to believe that she could be Sailor Saturn, but Meiling had explained that some sort of magic aura usually protected the Senshi's true identities. That was indeed part of why Sakura didn't want to accept that Hotaru was Sailor Saturn, but deep down, she was more afraid of having to fight Hotaru for the Clow Cards. Kero had made sealing the Cards her responsibility; even Syaoran and Meiling had admitted that eventually.

Still, that was no reason to assume that Hotaru was evil. Kero had made vague mentions about something of a partner he'd use to have, but had never gotten around to mentioning a name. It was possible that Hotaru had been sent by this partner to do something with the Cards that Sakura couldn't, but what? And if that was the case, why not just say so? If Hotaru was only trying to do good, then Sakura would have no problem letting her capture the rest of the Cards. But Syaoran was so suspicious of her, and it usually paid off to listen to his instincts.

Sakura was just about head back to Tomoyo's room when a hand came down on her shoulder. Naturally, she did the first thing that came to mind.

* * *

Hotaru actually hadn't expected Sakura to scream. All the same, she had been prepared for it.

That was how they both ended up in Tomoyo's backyard an instant later.

Sakura blinked slowly and shut her mouth, finally noticing she hadn't been able to hear herself scream. The reason for this soon became clear as she turned around.

Hotaru stood a few feet away, holding a Clow Card in her outstretched hand. "I didn't mean to frighten you, Sakura-chan."

Sakura bit her lip as Hotaru put The Silent away. "Hotaru-chan…why did you bring us out here?"

"I only used The Silent to keep you from alarming anyone, and to give us some privacy." Hotaru took a few steps forward, putting her in arm's reach of Sakura. "I need to ask you a favor."

"I'm listening," Sakura said hesitantly, fingering the miniature Key of Clow around her neck..

"I need you to give me The Shadow."

The color drained from Sakura's face. "Why?"

Hotaru blinked, apparently not expecting that response. "I can only tell you that I need it."

Sakura took a deep breath…as well as a step back. "I'm sorry, Hotaru-chan. But I can't give you The Shadow unless you tell me what you need it for."

"Fair enough. But as I said, I do need it, and I can't tell you why." Hotaru took another step forward. "Give it to me."

"No," Sakura whispered as confidently as she could. It was odd how she'd been completely at ease around Hotaru before, but at that very moment, she'd only felt so threatened by the more violent Cards.

"I will take it from you in battle, if I have to," Hotaru warned her.

"Please don't do this, Hotaru-chan," Sakura pleaded. "I can't fight you. You're my friend!"

"I know," Hotaru said simply as the Silence Glaive appeared in her hand. "Give me The Shadow."

Sakura considered her options as she continued to back away. She could call Syaoran and Meiling telepathically, but she didn't want them to hurt Hotaru, or get hurt in the process. She certainly didn't want to involve Tomoyo, but if anyone could stop Hotaru, it would've been her. Of course, she'd have to get past Hotaru first to do that.

"Taking care of the Clow Cards is my responsibility! That includes protecting them from untrustworthy people!" Sakura said.

"Then I'm sorry to learn I've lost your trust…but you will give me The Shadow."

Sakura took the Key of Clow in her hand and instantly enlarged it. "Neither of us wants to do this, Hotaru-chan. Just stop now and we can pretend this never happened."

"I wish I could," Hotaru said softly, with a hint of regret in her voice. "I have no desire to hurt you, Sakura-chan. But I must have that Clow Card, and if you won't give it to me…then you leave me no choice."

"That's just what I was thinking," Sakura whispered, drawing a Clow Card from her pocket.

Without warning, Hotaru surged forward, attempting to snatch the Card from Sakura's hand. Instead, her fingers closed on air as the Card slipped quickly into Sakura's sleeve.

Sakura grabbed Hotaru's arm, twisted around and tried one of the more basic throws that Syaoran had taught her. If her hunch was right, it would barely even slow Hotaru down, but every second it did buy her was worth it.

Unfortunately, Hotaru was prepared for such a maneuver, and as Sakura was trying to throw her, she planted her feet firmly on the ground and brought the double-pronged blade of the Silence Glaive up to Sakura's throat. "I would have to advise against that, Sakura-chan," she whispered softly in the other girl's ear. "You really don't want this slipping so close to your neck."

Sakura closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "This can't feel right to you, Hotaru-chan. You're threatening your friends, stealing from them…and if poor Tomoyo found out, it would break her heart."

"No, it doesn't feel right. All the more reason to get it done quickly, so we can go back to being friends."

"Are you serious? I can't trust you after this!"

"I realize that. But you don't want Tomoyo to find out, either. So you'll continue to act as if we are friends, won't you?"

"I wish I didn't have to act," Sakura murmured.

"So do I. Now, give me that Card up your sleeve."

"You're going to regret this, Hotaru-chan," Sakura promised as she slipped the Card into Hotaru's waiting hand.

"I already do," Hotaru replied. She looked at the Card, and then her eyes widened. "Wait. This isn't-"

"JUMP CARD!" Sakura shouted, grabbing the Card and shoving Hotaru away.

Hotaru stumbled back, only to see Sakura launch herself high into the air, propelled by pink, winged boots. "I gave you a chance to surrender The Shadow, Sakura-chan. But now you're just delaying the inevitable."

* * *

Tomoyo woke up to an empty bed and a worried feeling in the pit of her stomach. Sakura running off she was used to, and Hotaru was always vanishing like a ghost, but never at the same time. It made sense to think that they were together. Probably Sakura had seen that Hotaru was gone first, and went out to look for her.

"TOMOYO!!!" a familiar voice shouted.

"Sakura-chan?!" Tomoyo cried as her best friend tumbled in through the open window. She jumped out of bed and helped Sakura up. "What happened?!"

"I…it was…" Sakura began to say, but then she caught sight of Tomoyo's worried expression.

"What? What?!" Tomoyo demanded.

Sakura swallowed noisily. "I…I lost control of a Clow Card," she said, unable to meet Tomoyo's eyes. "I was afraid it might've hurt you."

Tomoyo blinked, not saying anything for a long moment. Finally, she asked, "Which one was it?"

"Um…Jump," Sakura replied hesitantly.

"And…how would it have hurt me?"

"Well…I guess it couldn't, really…but it might've made you jump really high, and I know you don't like great heights, so…you would've been really scared, and-"

"Sakura-chan, you're a terrible liar," Tomoyo said softly, cupping her best friend's face with her hands. "Now, I don't know why you're lying to me, but I trust that you wouldn't do it unless you had a really good reason. So even though it hurts me to know you're not being honest with me, I'll still forgive you."

Sakura started to say something, but decided against it and buried her face in Tomoyo's shoulder. "I didn't want to lie to you, Tomoyo-chan. It's just that…just…"

"You can tell me when you're ready," Tomoyo replied, patting her back. "But in the meantime, do you know where Hotaru is?"

At that moment, there were three sharp knocks on the door.

Not even looking up, Tomoyo called out, "Come in, Robyn."

Tomoyo's bodyguard entered the room. "Tomoyo-chan, you should come downstairs at once."

Tomoyo looked at her curiously. "Is anything wrong, Robyn?"

"That remains to be seen. There is…a woman downstairs that claims to be Hotaru's mother."

Tomoyo's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Is her hair dark green? Or-"

"It's closer to cyan, I think."

Tomoyo grabbed Sakura's hand and all but dragged her downstairs, with Robyn bringing up the rear. At the bottom of the steps, they were met by a woman matching Robyn's description. In her arms was the unconscious form of Hotaru.

"So nice to see you again, Tomoyo-chan," the woman said, smiling pleasantly. "Although I wish it weren't under these circumstances."

"Auntie Michiru, Hotaru didn't tell me you were coming with her!" Tomoyo replied, obviously a little distracted by the state of her cousin. "But what's wrong with her?"

"I didn't come with her, Tomoyo-chan. I came because of her. As for what's wrong, Hotaru is in big trouble." She paused, her gaze landing squarely on Sakura. "But I imagine some people might know that better than others."

"Are you really Hotaru's mother?" Sakura asked, instantly regretting asking such a rude question.

Michiru smiled at her. "I wasn't always, but rest assured that I am now. Which is why it's my duty to find out what you've all gotten yourselves mixed up in. There's no time to do it gently, unfortunately." She looked towards the ceiling and said, "Rain, could you please bring Hotaru around for me?"

Instantly, a small cloud formed over Hotaru's head, and tiny raindrops gently peppered her face.

"How did you do that?" Sakura asked.

"I may not have much in the way of your kind of magic," Michiru replied, "but you'd be surprised how far being friendly can get you. While I haven't actually sealed this Card, it agreed to help me out, since we seem to be kindred spirits."

"I'm never going to find all the Clow Cards if they keep going to other people," Sakura murmured sadly.

Michiru laughed softly. "Don't worry, Sakura. I'm sure Rain would have no problem going to you once this is all sorted out. First, though, we have to get some answers out of Hotaru."

"I don't think that's going to be too easy," Sakura said hesitantly.

"She'll talk," Tomoyo said confidently. "Between me and Auntie Michiru, she'll have to open up. We're two of her favorite relatives."

Sakura decided not to argue the point. She still didn't want to tell Tomoyo that Hotaru had been seconds away from attacking her. But from the knowing looks Michiru kept giving her, she had a feeling that she might not have a choice in a few moments.

"Sakura," Michiru said softly. "Why don't you tell Tomoyo what happened tonight?"

She could tell from Michiru's tone that one way or another, Tomoyo was going to find out what Hotaru had done. With a sigh, Sakura begin to tell everything: how Hotaru had used The Silent, and then demanded that Sakura surrender The Shadow, even under the threat of violence. She ended with how she'd used The Jump to leap into the sky and escape.

"What I don't understand is why Hotaru didn't come after me. I didn't think heights would bother her."

"They don't," Michiru answered. "Hotaru didn't chase you because she couldn't. I stopped her."

"You did? But I never saw you…"

"You weren't supposed to. I asked Rain to provide some cloud cover. Didn't you notice how quickly the clouds moved in behind you?"

Sakura blushed. "I was a little too busy running." She turned to her best friend, who hadn't said a word in some time. "I wanted to tell you, Tomoyo-chan, but I couldn't. I was afraid that you wouldn't believe me. Even I didn't want to believe that Hotaru would hurt me, but I can't forget that cold look in her eyes."

Tomoyo took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "So you lied to protect me from the truth about Hotaru?"

"Yes. I didn't want to, but I didn't want you to find out about her that way. I thought maybe Syaoran and I could convince her to tell you the truth." Sakura paused and took Tomoyo's hand in hers. "I'm sorry. But you know it's my job to protect you."

Tomoyo couldn't help the smile that came to her lips. "I know," she said simply.

* * *

Continued in Chapter 4: The Return of Clow

Hotaru tells all. The reincarnation of Clow reveals himself, as well as a dangerous plot involving two Sakura's close friends. But can she save them both, or will she be forced to sacrifice one?


	4. The Return of Clow

Notes: I'm trying to update a couple of CCS fics at once, while the inspiration is still upon me. So with any luck, "Majin Magic" and "Unrequited" will each get a new chapter, at the very least.

Chapter 4: The Return of Clow

The first thing that Hotaru saw upon waking up was Tomoyo's concerned face. "Juumai?" she whispered uncertainly, reaching for the younger girl's hand.

Tomoyo let her have it, smiling. "You scared me, juushi. Don't do that again."

It was then that Hotaru became aware of Sakura's presence, and then Michiru's. She sat up straight on the couch, looking distinctly wary.

"Hotaru-chan," Michiru said softly, reaching over to stroke her dark hair. "It does my heart good to see you looking so much stronger."

After a few seconds of hesitation, Hotaru leaned into Michiru's hand. "You didn't tell me you were coming."

"And you didn't tell me that you'd started collecting Clow Cards," Michiru countered.

"Or me," Tomoyo added, giving Hotaru's hand a good squeeze.

"I couldn't," Hotaru said at once. "No one was supposed to know."

"I think Sakura would've noticed when one of her Cards went missing," Michiru pointed out.

"It was nothing that I took pleasure in," Hotaru murmured, looking away. "It's just that I always end up hurting my friends unintentionally, so I thought it wouldn't matter in the long run. And...he said if it was too painful for Sakura, he could alter her memories..."

"Who said?" Michiru asked sharply.

"It's easier if I just show you, so you'll have no reason to doubt me." Hotaru flicked her wrist, drawing a Clow Card out of thin air.

Sakura automatically moved Tomoyo behind her.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. This Card can explain everything; she's been with me the longest." Hotaru raised her voice. "Shot Card, come forth!"

Instantly, a girl with an alarming amount of pink, streaked hair appeared before them. Her eyes were narrowed, and flicked from one person to the next rapidly, as if she were itching to attack them all at once.

Hotaru gently placed her hand on the girl's bushy head. "No, Shot. They are friends, not targets. You will not be attacking this time."

Obviously very disappointed, Shot sat down at Hotaru's feet and crossed her arms over her chest, greatly resembling a child that had been denied a cookie.

"Why don't you start by telling us a little about yourself?" Hotaru suggested.

As if she were reading from a cue card, Shot began: "I am The Shot. I was created by the magician Clow Reed. Once I select a target, I will pursue it relentlessly until one of us is defeated."

"Whom do you serve?"

At that point, Shot gave Hotaru an odd look. "Only you, my Mistress. Why-"

"If Clow Reed were to summon you now," Hotaru interrupted, "would you return to him?"

Shot blinked a few times before answering. "I would not wish to, out of loyalty to you, my Mistress. But Clow Reed is my creator, and I could no more ignore him than I could deny my own existence. Eventually, I think I would have no choice but to follow him."

"But why would that matter?" Sakura asked. "Clow Reed died a long time ago..."

Hotaru sighed. "Shot, tell them what we've been doing these last few weeks."

Shot nodded. "My creator saw fit to reincarnate himself. This new form summoned my Mistress to his side, and at his request, she sealed me in her service. It was my creator's wish that we return certain Cards to him."

"For what purpose?" Michiru asked.

Once Hotaru nodded for her to continue, Shot replied, "During their period of freedom, some Cards became excessively violent or unruly, to the point where they might even disobey their owner. My creator wishes to purge them of this darkness before things got out of hand."

"You mean THAT'S why you wanted The Shadow? So it wouldn't turn on me?" Sakura asked. "Why didn't you just SAY so, Hotaru! I would've given it to you right away if you'd just told me that!"

"My creator swore her to secrecy," Shot answered. "Even now, we are breaking that vow."

"So this new Clow has been...purifying the Cards, so to speak?" Tomoyo asked.

Hotaru nodded. "Yes, juumai. I can't tell you why he wanted my purpose to remain hidden. He is very secretive about a great deal of things. I know only that he is Clow, and that I had to do as he asked, if for no other reason than to protect Sakura."

"But you said you were willing to hurt me to get that Card," Sakura said softly.

"I was honestly hoping to scare you into giving it to me," Hotaru replied. "I doubt I could've actually convinced myself to harm you, Sakura-chan."

"But what about you, juushi?" Tomoyo asked. "What's going to happen to you, now that you've told us all this?"

"Probably nothing. I am quite sure he knew this would happen. He seems to have predicted everything, from my coming here to all of you figuring out that I was Sailor Saturn. I believe he only told me not to tell in order to serve as a test. He often makes things harder than they should be, in order to suit his purposes. Despite that, I really think he only wants the best for us all."

Sakura laughed nervously. "In that case, I think you'd better take him The Shadow right away, so he doesn't suddenly change his mind!"

* * *

There was a dry chuckle in the darkness. "No, Sakura-san, I will not change my mind. But you may soon change your opinion of me, for better or for worse."

"So you're going through with the plan, then?" a second voice asked.

"Indeed, Spinel," the first replied. "Sakura must be tested, and who better than I to administer a proper test?"

"It could be dangerous for her, though," a new voice added. "She might even be killed."

"I am confident that will not happen, Nakuru, but your concern is both duly noted and much appreciated. Sakura and her friends will be just fine."

"Are you sure?" Nakuru asked with a smirk. "I mean, how many people have come out of a scrape with us 'just fine', Eriol-sama?"

"Those were all different circumstances, as you well know. We are merely ensuring that Sakura will be ready to inherit the true legacy of Clow Reed."

"So when do we begin?" Spinel asked curiously.

"Now seems as good a time as any," Eriol replied, a somewhat sinister smile on his lips. "Go and acquire the selected elements. I will deal with Hotaru."

The pair bowed as one. "As you wish, Eriol-sama."

Eriol turned back to his mirror, where he watched Sakura hand over The Shadow to Hotaru. "I am sorry about this, Hotaru-chan. But each actor must play their part in this little drama of mine. And you have played yours better than I ever could've hoped."

* * *

Meiling was on her way to Syaoran's house when she heard what sounded like a small animal in pain. She followed the noise to a nearby bush, where she found a small, shivering mass of black, glossy fur. She slowly knelt down and gently picked up the trembling creature.

"Hmm. Never seen one of you before, little guy. You must be endangered, in every sense of the word."

The creature mewled softly, brushing her nose with its long tail.

Meiling's eyelids drifted shut at once, and she fell soundlessly to the ground, the creature hovering just above her head on tiny wings.

"Easy, wasn't it?" Nakuru asked as she emerged with Syaoran slung over her shoulder.

"I sense no magic in her," Spinel noted, circling Meiling a few times.

"Doesn't matter. Eriol wants them just the same." In a startling display of strength, Nakuru reached down with one hand and easily hauled Meiling over her other shoulder. "Do you have the note for Sakura?"

"Yes. But Eriol didn't specify how I was to deliver it. If I get anywhere near her, she might sense me."

"Would she?"

Spinel frowned. "She might sense SOMETHING, even if she didn't know exactly what."

"Well, if sensing you doesn't tip her off, the note will. Does it really matter, Suppi-chan?"

He scowled up at her. "I loathe you," he muttered before flying off.

Nakuru grinned as she headed back to her master's house. She could tell that this was going to be fun.

* * *

Sakura could not deny the feeling that she was being watched. It was a familiar feeling, especially since Tomoyo had spent over half their lives following her around with some sort of camera. But with Tomoyo, the feeling just summoned up the usual embarrassment, and maybe a warm fondness that Tomoyo thought her so photogenic.

This time, however, the only sensation Sakura could discern was danger. It was bad enough that she didn't know why. Combined with the fact that they hadn't heard from Hotaru since she'd left to deliver The Shadow last night, both she and Tomoyo were on edge with worry. But Sakura didn't want to alarm Tomoyo further by telling her that someone was watching them.

Michiru had suggested that they go about their day as normally as possible, and that she would contact them immediately if she heard from Hotaru first. This didn't reassure Sakura all that much. She honestly wanted to like Michiru, especially for Tomoyo's sake, but the woman was just so mysterious. And probably powerful, if her guess was right. Sakura was only good at sensing magic similar to hers, but she hadn't failed to recognize the odd feeling that touching Michiru gave her. It was the very same she'd gotten from Hotaru that first day.

Tomoyo was doing a very good job of hiding her own concern, though. So good a job, in fact, that Sakura began to wonder if her best friend was hiding other things from her. She didn't like to think like that, but now that the truth had come out about Hotaru, it was causing her to reevaluate all of her relationships with people she thought she could trust. In a way, she envied Touya. He always seemed to know right away whether a person had good character or not. Granted, he'd never really changed his mind about Syaoran, but since he was only being overprotective of her, Sakura could forgive that.

Kero, quite predictably, had a very hard time accepting that Hotaru was not only Sailor Saturn, but a CardCaptor as well. Even after Sakura told him everything that happened during the sleepover, he seemed miffed that he'd dismissed Hotaru as harmless so quickly, that Clow Reed had returned and could very well be opposing them, and most of all, that he'd been left out of the loop, if only for a matter of hours. Sakura managed to pacify him with some homemade chocolates, but she could tell the whole thing was really bothering him. Unfortunately, that only reminded Sakura how much the whole thing was bothering her.

Perhaps on an instinctive level, Sakura decided to call Syaoran, not just to debrief him as well, but simply because she always felt more secure when he was involved. Surprisingly, though, there was no answer at his house, or on his cell phone. At a loss, Sakura even tried Meiling, only to get the same result. Normally, that wouldn't have bothered her much, except now three of her friends were missing, all of whom knew her secret, and Tomoyo was the only one left.

More unsure of herself than ever, Sakura asked Kero for advice. He immediately suggested that they go to Tomoyo's house. Sakura assumed he was concerned about Tomoyo, until Kero pointed out that no matter how little they knew about Michiru, they were all probably a lot safer under the same roof as her.

Oddly enough, they'd barely gotten out of the front door when a sealed envelope dropped onto Sakura's head. She barely noticed, as she got a sudden chill at the same moment. It reminded her a great deal of the same sensation when she'd touched Hotaru, only different somehow. Stronger, even. Sakura was still trying to clear her head when she became aware of Kero calling her name.

"You better read this, kid," Kero said, his voice grave. "I think somebody's calling you out."

Sakura took the letter, her eyes widening as she read it. "'You should have listened to Hotaru. Come to the following address tonight, if you ever want to see Syaoran and Meiling again.' Kero, who would do this?"

"It's not a matter of who would, Sakura. It's a matter of who could. You know there's no love lost between me and those two, but they're not the type to go quietly against their will. Whoever captured them is seriously powerful. And considering what you told me, I'd say it's Clow's reincarnation."

"But…how am I supposed to defeat Clow Reed without Syaoran's help?"

"Hey, I'll be there, too!" Kero cried. "And don't think I've shown you all my tricks. I'm a Guardian Beast for a reason, you know."

"What about Hotaru? What if she's still on his side?"

"Oh. Well…uh…I don't know, kid. If you really can't bring yourself to fight her, I guess I'll have to. But let's hope that's not the case. I don't want you trying to take on Clow Reed by yourself if we can help it."

* * *

"No fair! You're cheating, Suppi-chan!"

"Convenient how you only say that when I'm winning, Nakuru."

"Because I never cheat!"

"And I never NEED to cheat. Either play the game or surrender. It really doesn't matter which you choose, anyway. I had you beat from the first move."

Syaoran groaned softly as he came to, only vaguely aware of the voices in the background. There was a throbbing pain in his head. He wasn't sure where it had come from, until he recalled meeting a strange high school girl who had suddenly jumped him. He'd dodged her first swipe and walked into the second, assuming she wouldn't hit hard enough to do more than slightly disorient him. However, that single punch was all she'd needed to knock him out. He made a mental note not to tell Meiling that he'd underestimated a girl, or he'd never hear the end of it.

It was then that he noticed Meiling stretched out beside him, and Hotaru on his other side. They were all lying on the floor, and more importantly, within a Magic Circle of Clow. The girls were breathing, but still unconscious. The Circle itself seemed to prevent Syaoran from doing anything beyond turning his head.

"I must apologize for the rude awakening, my descendant," said a voice beyond Syaoran's head. "It was not my intention for things to proceed this way. However, there have been some unplanned…involvements that I had to suddenly account for. As you can imagine, I was forced to just throw a plan together, and this is the result, sadly."

"Who…who are you?" Syaoran asked.

:"Oh, I'm sure you know who I am. Or who I was, I should say. You've spent your whole life studying my teachings. By the way, I do hope Nakuru wasn't too rough with you. She tends to get carried away in her efforts to please."

"What do you want from us?"

"Very little. You're here to ensure that Sakura will come."

"And when she does?"

Syaoran's body suddenly jerked upright and spun around, coming face to face with a pale-skinned, bespectacled boy with dark hair.

"Clow Reed!" Syaoran gasped as the boy smirked.

"Not quite, my descendant. But we've been through this already."

"At least let Meiling go. She has no magic. You have nothing to fear from her."

"I did not capture her out of fear, but necessity. I'm afraid I can't say anything more on the matter." The boy knelt and lightly touched Hotaru's forehead. "You should be thanking me, really. I'm going to save you all from certain destruction."

* * *

Endnotes:

Once the Cards have been "changed" to suit their new Master, I'm not actually sure how much they would respond to a request from Clow Reed, or if they would at all. But I like to think of at least some of the Cards as having some sentience, in which case it's more of a judgment call for each individual Card.

Nakuru strikes me as ridiculously strong, for some reason. Can't really explain it. And, well, Syaoran's underestimated a girl or two before…

Next Chapter: Powerful Friends

Sakura has no idea what she's up against. On the other hand, she also has no idea what her allies are capable of.


End file.
